Surrey Heath

Surrey Heath's population grew in the decade to 2011. At the same time there were changes in religion, ethnicity and housing tenure.

The population passed 86,000

Between the last two censuses, the population of Surrey Heath increased by 7.3%, from just over 80,300 to 86,100.

The addition of about 5,800 people means this area's population increased at a similar rate to the overall population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Surrey Heath was home to, on average, 6.5 people per football pitch-sized piece of land (about 7,140 square metres).

Population density was higher than the average across the South East

Population density (usual residents per 7,140 square metres) across the South East, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

Health improved

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health fell in Surrey Heath, but at a slower rate than all other local authority areas across England, except Barnsley.

Rates are standardised to account for variation in age, which can impact the local population's health.

Every local authority area across the South East saw a fall in the proportion of residents that perceived their health as bad or very bad, as the regional average fell from 7.2% to 4.4%.

In 2011, just under 1 in 30 (3.2%) in Surrey Heath said their health was bad or very bad, compared with 5.3% in 2001. The percentage that perceived their health as good or very good increased from 77% to 87%.

The largest increase occurred in Wokingham (from 4.6% to 2.8%).

These data are people’s own opinions in describing their overall health. They may be inconsistent with other measures of health, such as NHS records.

The percentage of people in ’bad’ or ’very bad’ health in Surrey Heath decreased by 2.1 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in Surrey Heath, the South East and England said their health was bad or very bad, March 2001 and March 2011

Religion in Surrey Heath

The number of people in Surrey Heath that described themselves as having no religion increased from about 11,000 in 2001 to about 21,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 14% to 24% of the local population.

The percentage increased by less than the average across the South East (from 17% to 28%), but at a similar rate to the average across England (from 15% to 25%).

The number of people in Surrey Heath that described themselves as Christian decreased from just over 61,000 in 2001 to just under 55,000 in 2011 (from 76% to 63%). The number of people who did not disclose their religious affiliation increased from about 5,300 to just under 6,200 (from 6.7% to 7.2%).

About 1,600 people (1.2%) said they were Muslim, up from about 940 in 2001 (1.9%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between religious groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population without a religion in Surrey Heath increased by 9.8 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, South East and Surrey Heath by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Ethnicity in Surrey Heath

The number of people in Surrey Heath from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups increased from about 2,000 in 2001 to just under 5,400 in 2011. This represents a change from 2.5% to 6.3% of the local population.

The percentage increased by more than the average across the South East (from 2.6% to 5.0%) and the average across England (from 5.2% to 8.0%).

The number of people in Surrey Heath from the White ethnic groups increased from about 77,000 in 2001 to about 78,000 in 2011. However, as a percentage of the total population, this represented a decrease from 95% to 90%. The number of residents from Mixed/multiple ethnic groups (White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean or Other Mixed) increased from just under 860 to just over 1,600 (from 1.1% to 1.9%).

Just over 860 people (0.4%) said they were from the Black, Black British, Caribbean or African ethnic groups, up from just over 330 in 2001 (1.0%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the ethnic profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between ethnic groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups in Surrey Heath increased by 3.8 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, South East and Surrey Heath by ethnicity, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of households in Surrey Heath that rented privately increased from 8.6% to 12% in the 10 years leading up to 2011.

The proportion that lived in social housing remained close to 9.0%, while the percentage of Surrey Heath households that owner their home decreased from 81% to 77%.

The proportion of privately rented homes increased at a slower rate here than the figure for the whole of the South East (from 10% in 2001 to 16% in 2011). Across England, the proportion increased from 9.9% to 17%.

Private renting in Surrey Heath increased by 3.6 percentage points

Percentage of households in Surrey Heath, the South East and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

Fewer people worked long hours

The percentage of employed people in Surrey Heath working more than 49 hours in the week before the census decreased from 16% to 13% in the decade leading up to the most recent census.

In 2011, just over 1 in 40 (2.9%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) said they had worked less than 16 hours the previous week, compared with 2.1% in 2001.

The proportion of people working long hours fell at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of the South East (from 14% in 2001 to 11% in 2011). Across England, the proportion fell from 13% to 10%.

Long hour working in Surrey Heath decreased by 3.1 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Surrey Heath, the South East and England that said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

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Area report data

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